Refrigerator cabinet



June 15, 1937. J, L, KN HT 2,084,204

REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed Aug. 6, 1935 InQentor: Jarries L. Kni ht,

is Attorngg.

immea- June is, 1937 Ramona/iron oanms'r James L. Knight, Erie, Pa., asslgnor to General Electric Company, a'corporation of New York I Application August e, 1935, Serial No. 34,898

3 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerator cabinets. and more particularly to an improved and simplifled arrangement for minimizing the leakage of heat from the exterior of the cabinet to the interior thereof.

Refrigerator cabinets such as those designed for household use are ordinarily provided with inner and outer walls which are arranged in spaced relation. A barrier of heat insulation is in placed between the inner and outer walls, since the interior of the cabinet is maintained considerably below the temperature prevailing outside the cabinet. The marginal portions of the walls about the edge of the door and door openings of the cabinet should be Joined together in such manner as to provide a strong rugged construction which will at the same time conduct a minimum of heat between the walls.

It is an object of my invention to provide a 0 refrigerator cabinet construction including inner and outer walls and an improved arrangement for securing the walls'together in spaced relation to form a strong rugged construction in which the flow of heat between the inner and outer walls is minimized. I

Further objects and advantages of my inventionwill become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed '30 out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to an accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view partly in section of a portion of a refrigerator cabinet of the household type embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective view partly in section of one of the spacers included in the refrigerator cabinet door shown in Fig. 1.

46 Referring to the drawing. I have shown in Fig. 1 a portion of a refrigerator cabinet of the household type, the outer walls of which are formed by a rectangular sheet metal shell l0 made of steel or the like, having a rectangular opening in the front wall thereof forming a door opening. An inwardly extending peripheral flange ll extends entirely about the sides of the opening formed in the front wall of the shell Ill.

The door opening in the cabinet is closed by a heat insulated door embodying my invention. The outer wall of the door is formed by a rectangular sheet of metal I2 made of steel or thelike and having a peripheral U-shaped flange I3 extending entirely about the same. The flange l3 includes a flat inner portion M which lies substantially parallel to the main body portion of the outer wall l2. The inner wall of the door is formed by a rectangular sheet of metal ill preferably made of steel, the inner and outer walls being arranged in spaced relation throughout the extent thereof and separated by heat insulation lid. The inner wall I5 is provided with an angularly disposed marginal portion l6 which extends entirely about the inner wall l5 and toward the outer wall l2. An integral peripheral flange l'l extends entirely about the marginal portion l6 of the inner wall IS, the peripheral flange i1 being arranged in alinement with the portion ll of the flange l3 and in spaced relation thereto.

The inner and outer walls l2 and I5 are secured together by a series of cup-shaped spacers 18 having a relatively low heat conductivity. The body portions of the spacers l8 are of the general shape of a truncated pyramid. The cup-shaped spacers l8 are preferably made of thin stainless steel or similar metal having a comparatively low heat conductivity. If the spacers i8 are made of drawn stainless steel, a thickness of about .010 inch gives suflicient strength and at the same time only a small amount of heat is conducted through the spacers because of their small crosssection. The spacers l8 are arranged at intervals about the marginal portions of the door and extend between the peripheral flange I! on the inner wall l5 and the adjacent portion of the outer wall l2 and in abutting relation thereto. The body portions of the spacers I8 are provided with flat rectangular peripheral flanges 19 extending entirely about the open ends thereof. The flanges I! are welded, brazed, or otherwise rigidly secured to the adjacent portions of the inner side of the outer wall in face engagement therewith. The closed ends of the spacers I 8 are provided with holes 20 therein and nuts 2| are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the inner sides of the closed ends of the spacers l-l with the threaded opening in the nuts registering with the holes 20 in the closed ends of the spacers.

The inner wall Ii of the door is secured in position by a series of bolts 22 which pass through suitable holes formed in the peripheral flange II, the inner ends thereof being threaded in the nuts 2|.

The space between the adjacent edges of the peripheral flanges l3 and I l of the inner and outer walls I! and I5. respectively, of the door is closed by a resilient sealing gasket 23 made of soft rubber or the like. The gasket 23 is provided with the dovetail portion 24 retained between the adjacent edges of the flanges l4 and I1 and a hollow striking portion 25. The hollow striking portion 25 of the gasket 23 extends entirely about the edge of the inner wall l5 of the door and when the door is closed it is pressed firmly against the adjacent surfaces of the front wall of the cabinet. The entrance of warm air from the exterior of the cabinet mm the interior thereof between the adjacent portions of the door and outer wall of the cabinet is thus revented.

In assembling the door construction described above the spacers II are positioned on'the outer wall I! and welded thereto. The heat insulation is is then positioned on the outer wall I! and the inner wall it is placed thereon. The bolts 22 are then screwed into the nuts II thus securing the inner wall I! in position on the outer wall it. The sealing gasket as is then inserted in its proper position between the alined edges of the peripheral flanges i4 and I1. The door thus formed is supported on the outer shell of the cabinet by suitable hinges a.

The main portion of the cabinet is also constructed in accordance with my invention. The inner walls of a food storage compartment 21 within the cabinet are formed by a rectangular sheet metal inner liner 2| made of steel or the like. The inner liner 2. is provided with a rectangular opening in the front wall thereof which registers with the somewhat larger rectangular opening formed in the outer shell II. An angularly disposed marginal portion rs of the inner liner is extends entirely about the opening formed in the front wall thereof and in alinement with the front wall of the shell II. The marginal portion 20 of the inner liner 2. is provided with a peripheral flange ll extending entirely about the same. The peripheral flange II is flared outwardly and is arranged in alinement with the peripheral flange Ii formed on the outer shell III, the edges of the flanges ii and being arranged in spaced relation. The outer shell ll and inner liner II are arranged in spaced relation throughout their extent.

The outer shell I. and the inner liner II are secured together by a series of cup-shaped spacers Ii extending therebetween and in abutting relation thereto. The spacers II have a low heat conductivity, preferably being made of thin stainless steel. The spacers II are similar to the spacers is described above, exceptthat the truncated pyramidal body portions thereof are somewhat more elongated. Rectangular peripheral flanges I! extend entirely about the open ends of the spacers Ii and are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the adjacent portions of the inner side of the front wall of the outer shell II in face engagement therewith. The closed inner ends of the spacers ii are provided with holes rs. and nuts It are welded to the inner ends of the spacers ll with the threaded apertures therein registering with the holes 88. Bolts I pass through suitable holes formed in the marginal portion 20 of the inner liner It and the inner ends thereof are threaded in the nuts as. The outer shell I. and inner liner 2! are thus rigidly secured together in spaced relation. Heat insulation It is arranged between the outer shell II and the inner liner 2..

The space between the adjacent edges of the flanges H and 80 formed on the outer shell i. and inner liner is, respectively. is closed by a resilient sealing gasket I1 made of soft rubber or the like. The gasket I1 is held in position by the edges of the flanges Ii and I, which engage grooves I. and a formed in the sidu of the gasket. The rounded inner sealing portion ll of the gasket s1 extendsentirely about the door opening of the cabinet. and when the door is closed, the sealing portion ll of the gasket I! ispressednrmiyagainstthe marginalportion it of the inner wall of the door. The gasket 81 thus aids the gasket as in further preventing the entrance of warm air into the cooling compartment 21 between the adjacent portions of the door and cabinet. 4

' The sealing gaskets It and 81 also prevent the entrance. of air into the space between the inner and outer walls of the door and cabinet. respectively. It is necessary to prevent the entrance of air into these spaces since the heat insulation supported therein is usually made of a dry flbrous material, the insulating properties of which are radically reduced when soaked with moisture.

If any outside air enters the space between the inner and outer walls, the moisture carried there- .by will be condensed on the heat insulation, be-

cause of the relatively low temperature of the inner walls of the cabinet and door. Consequently. it is necessary to provide against the entrance of outside air into the spaces in which the insulation is arranged.

Although I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention in connection with the refrigerator cabinet of the household typ I do not desire my invention to be limited to the particular construction shown and described, and I intend in the claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as newand desire'tosecureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

i. A'reirigerato'r cabinet construction comprising inner and outer sheet metal walls arranged in spaced relation substantially throughout the extent thereof, heat insulation arranged between said walls. means including a cup-shaped metallic spacer of relatively low heat conductivity extending between said walls for securing said walls together in spaced relation, said cup-shaped spacer being provided with a peripheral flange extending about the open end thereof, said flange being welded in face engagement to one of said walls, and means for securing the closed end of said cup-shaped spacer to the other of said walls. 2. A refrigerator cabinet construction cunprisinginnerandoutersheetmetalwallsarranged in spaced relation substantially throughout the extent thereof, heat insulatim arranged between said walls, and means including'a cup-shaped stainless steel spacer extending between said wallsforsecuringsaidwallstogetherinspaced' relation, said cup-shaped spacer being provided with a peripheral flange extending about the open end thereof,saidflangebeingweldedinfaceengagement to one of said walls and means includingaboltforsecuringtheclosedendofsaidm shapedspacertotheotherofsaidwalls.

3. A refrigerator cabinet construction comprising inner and outer sheet metal walls arranged in spaced relation substantially throughout the extent thereof, heat insulation arranged between saidwalls.andmeansinchidingacup-shaped stainlesssteelspacerextsndimbetween said walls for securing said walls together in spaced relation, said cup-shaped spacer being provided with a peripheral flame extmding about the open endthereof andanutweldedtotheclosed end thereof, said flange being welded in face engagement to one of said walls and said, nut being adapted to receive a bolt'passing through the other of said walls.

- JAMES L. KNIGHT. 

